Why some of the Mk4 Cortinas have fully open air inlet section under the front bumper meanwhile some other mk4s dont?

[Dinoplex 3]

Mine doesnt have the full opening, its like in the first picture below. But looking at pictures of other cars some of them have the air intake running the entire width of the car and not just a small section under the licence plate as it can be seen in the second picture below. Im wondering which models came with which style? Did it depend on the trim level of the car or the engine? (mine is lowest trim base model not even the L version, i think the car in the first picture is also base model and in second picture its ghia trim)

Edited May 27, 2025 by Dinoplex

[sheffieldcortinacentre 741]

I think it's the early ones have the small opening the later ones full width. The early mk4's have rubber bumper inserts the later ones are plastic. The changes occurred late 77 I think along with orange needles instead of white on gauges amongst other things.

  The one in upper pic is an L as it has the silver painted grille border & bumper inserts ( base had an all black grille & plain chrome bumpers).

Original MK4 front valances are very hard to find ( most restored ones have one from a Mk5 which has the second lower pair of central slots & the two smaller outer slots) .

 

There's also the early Mk5 front valance used in 79 that only has the long inner slots but no small outer ones.

 

Edited May 28, 2025 by sheffieldcortinacentre

[Dinoplex 3]

11 hours ago, sheffieldcortinacentre said:

I think it's the early ones have the small opening the later ones full width. The early mk4's have rubber bumper inserts the later ones are plastic. The changes occurred late 77 I think along with orange needles instead of white on gauges amongst other things.

  The one in upper pic is an L as it has the silver painted grille border & bumper inserts ( base had an all black grille & plain chrome bumpers).

Original MK4 front valances are very hard to find ( most restored ones have one from a Mk5 which has the second lower pair of central slots & the two smaller outer slots) .

 

There's also the early Mk5 front valance used in 79 that only has the long inner slots but no small outer ones.

 

Hmm then i think the base trim levels differed a bit between cortina and taunus. Im pretty sure mine is base made because it has no L badge and no glove box illumination and on the wiring diagrams in workshop manual its noted that only base models dont have illimunation, i also have rubber mats instead of carpets that came with L model and above. But at the same time i also have the chrome grill and rubber on the bumpers and mine is january 1976 genk belgium production.
I also posted those pictures from this zwischengas article https://www.zwischengas.com/de/FT/fahrzeugberichte/Ford-Taunus-im-historischen-Test.html
All of those pictures were taken in 1976, it looks like even the L model has the wide front intake and only the base model has the narrow intake. That first picture i posted in previous post is also base model i just checked it again, no L badge on the back of the car. It has the same K-LE 304 licence plate. The zwischengas article also talks about this exact car as the base model.  
"Ford Taunus 1.3 (1976) – das Basismodell als zweitürige Limousine"


The L model seems to have the wide intake as in the picture below also taken in 1976 as part of promotional photo shoots i think but not sure. (it also notes it having optional extra vinyl roof)


The zwischengas article also says this below which is basically saying that compared to the base TC1 model; now the laminated windscreen, rubber chrome bumpers, automatic seatbelts are standard on the base model TC2 which were not standard on the base model TC1 and hence the 405 DM price increase over 1975 TC1 base model Taunus. It also says that L models brought better sound dampening and also used carpets on the floor instead of rubber mats, illuminated glove box compartment etc. Maybe the wide inlet came to cortinas in the 77 facelift and in the taunus models it depended on the trim model? Base model getting the narrow intake and above base models getting the wide intake. I initially thought maybe the wider inlet was for more cooling for the V6 engines but that doesnt seem to be the case. Also the zwischengas article is paid membership only but i can "gift" the article thru email if anybody wants to see the whole thing its got bunch of nice pictures which were taken from Swiss Automobil Revue magazine early 1976 issue.

"11'000 DM-Klasse
Der Grundpreis von 9995 DM für den Taunus-Zweitürer 1.3 entspricht genau dem Ascona 1.2. Gegenüber dem vergleichbaren Vorgänger gab es eine Verteuerung von 405 DM, die sich zumindest teilweise durch die jetzt serienmäßigen Stoßstangen-Gummileisten, durch Verbundglas-Frontscheibe und Automatikgurte rechtfertigen läßt. Die Kopfstützen an den Vordersitzen werden dagegen immer noch als gehobenes Luxusextra gehandelt – erst ab Taunus GL, ferner bei S und Ghia kosten sie keinen Aufpreis. 

Der Aufpreis für die L-Ausstattung empfiehlt sich zunächst wegen dem höheren Geräuschdämpfungsaufwand (auch Bodenteppich); daneben sind beim L als Ausstattungsplus nennenswert: Verschließbarer und beleuchteter Handschuhkasten, Mittelablage auf dem Getriebetunnel, stufenlos regulierbare Instrumentenbeleuchtung, Zigarettenanzünder, Zeituhr und abblendbarer Innenspiegel."

[sheffieldcortinacentre 741]

Taunuses/tauni? Were better speced than UK cortina models so it's quite possible in regards to yours.

I can't ever remember seeing a MK4 with Ghia alloys in period even though there in literature . & Seen in the spy who loved me bond film on the Taunus carrying jaws  in the mountain chase.

On mk5's the accessories booklet shows a boot release & a cruise control but neither were fitted on UK cars.

[Dinoplex 3]

30 minutes ago, sheffieldcortinacentre said:

Taunuses/tauni? Were better speced than UK cortina models so it's quite possible in regards to yours.

I can't ever remember seeing a MK4 with Ghia alloys in period even though there in literature . & Seen in the spy who loved me bond film on the Taunus carrying jaws  in the mountain chase.

On mk5's the accessories booklet shows a boot release & a cruise control but neither were fitted on UK cars.

I see, i always thought they were identical in the trim levels as well since the cars themselves are pretty much identical in mk4 and mk5.
Was there also a "S" trim in the UK models? The S trim also seems to have the same ghia rims. I just checked the accessories section on a couple of TC3 brochures and they dont mention the boot release and cruise control, i guess that also didnt exist in germany  

[sheffieldcortinacentre 741]

The UK MK4 range was 

 

Base 1.3 ohv ( cross flow) 2& 4 door saloon, 4spd manual only

L 1.3 ohv ( cross flow , 4spd manual only) 2&4 Dr saloon only, 1.6 ohc 4dr & wagon only. 4spd manual,3 SPD automatic.

GL 1.6/2.0 ohc, 2.3 cologne V6 (77 onwards) 4dr & wagon , 4spd manual,3spd automatic. Power steering std on V6.

Ghia as GL ( 1.6 has twin choke Weber carb).

"S"  2.0 ohc or  2.3V6 4dr saloon only 4 speed manual only  ( now very rare approx 10 2.0 & 5 2.3 versions left).

 

Mk5  range,

Base  as MK4, ( black chrome work) vynil seats  (cloth on 82 models).

L as MK4  ( 2dr 1.6 automatic available to special order for disabled drivers (81/82 as MK2 escort now discontinued) very rare now as only few hundred made)

GL as MK4 but 1.6 avl with option Weber carb.

Ghia as MK4 now std alloy wheels.

 

No S model S pack avl on 1.6/2.0/2.3 4door/wagon only (  never on base or 2 Dr versions)

Limited edition carousel 1.3/1.6  4dr /wagon only  ( an L with sports steel wheels & left over GL trim pieces) approx 5000 avl during summer/autumn 81.

Only other limited edition avl was the huntsman wagon 1.6 manual  ( metallic brown only) ( only avl from one dealership in the south east of England ( 150 made with only one known survivor)  81 only.

GLS 2.0 4dr/wagon only  (main feature fishnet recaro front seats) rare now as (82 only)

 

Runout model 

Crusader  ( Ghia trim without tachometer & alloy wheels) 2 tone paint colour coded grille, 4 Dr & wagon only ( no 2 drs ever built)  1.3 4 Dr saloon only, 1.6/2.0  4dr & wagon ( 2.3 never offered)

1.3 very rare only one known survivor ( dark brown)

Approx 40,000  made in (  82 only)

 

 

 

[Dinoplex 3]

Thanks for the detailed explanation, interesting that V6 models came with power steering as standard. In the taunus models it was only standard in Ghia trim. Most of the V6 models that were sold had no power steering and german motoring magazines back then always complained about the very heavy steering of the V6 models along with them understeering compared to pinto engined models.

Im guessing these same recaro seats that are shown in 82 TC3 brochure
https://www.motomobil.com/fileadmin//_2020/prospekte/Prospekte_Taunus_MK1_MK2_MK3/Ford_Taunus_MK3_Originalprospekt_1982_01.pdf

[sheffieldcortinacentre 741]

Yep that's them.